4 Landmark 1971 Albums That Were Made Better by Legendary Vocalists

A great voice can always take an artist a long way. It also helps if they have great songs to show off that voice. In 1971, it seemed like a majority of the finest albums came from artists who had the incredible pipes to match the songwriting chops.

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These four LPs certainly rank among the most hallowed to be released in 1971. And the voices behind them will never be forgotten.

‘What’s Going On’ by Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye had already proven himself throughout the 60s as a reliable hitmaker for the Motown label. But he yearned to make a statement of grander proportions. It was a risky move, one that his record label worried might tank his commercial prospects. But Gaye captured the zeitgeist on What’s Going On, which echoed the feelings of unease running through many in his audience. He did that through the power of songs like the title track and “Mercy Me (The Ecology)”. But he also achieved it through the gentle ache that ran through his vocals on those songs. He also proved that he could convey gritty, bluesy anguish on the incredible album closer “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)”.

‘Blue’ by Joni Mitchell

Mitchell had already earned renown by the start of the 70s. But at least in terms of the wider public, that renown came indirectly. She was known for other artists having hits with her songs, such as Judy Collins’ take on “Both Sides Now”. And people understood that she served as a muse for some of the songs of Crosby, Stills & Nash, who were just then breaking out as superstars. But when people heard Blue, arguably her masterpiece, they could no longer ignore her as a musical force of nature. While the songwriting on the album is as masterful as you would expect, Mitchell’s vocals also carry a great deal of the weight. Her mesmerizing efforts on songs like “A Case Of You” and “River” represent a jazzy master class.

‘Nilsson Schmilsson’ by Harry Nilsson

Harry Nilsson, much like Joni Mitchell, was famous in 1971 mostly for reasons aside from his artistry. Although he had scored the big hit “I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City” by then, he earned just as much press for running in the same circles as The Beatles and for his songs getting recorded by others. On Nilsson Schmilsson, he put it all together. He wrote wildly diverse, inventive songs like “Gotta Get Up”, “Coconut”, and “Jump Into The Fire’, that showed off his vocal versatility. (The wild screaming on “Jump Into The Fire” alone deserves mention.) On top of that, his interpretive ability on the songs of others came to the fore. For example, his vocal located the epic grandeur in Badfinger’s “Without You”.

‘Pearl’ by Janis Joplin

More than anybody on this list, Janis Joplin relied on the songs of others. Although, we should note, she did have a hand in writing “Mercedes Benz”, perhaps the most legendary one-person a cappella song in rock music history. When she was interpreting the songs of others, she rendered them in such a fashion that you couldn’t ever imagine anyone doing them with anywhere near the same force or charisma. Case in point: her heartsick take on Kris Kristofferson’s “Me And Bobby McGee”. Or her reckless abandon on the R&B gem “Cry Baby”. Sadly, people were just starting to recognize Joplin’s brilliance when she passed away. Pearl was released about three months after she died in late 1970.

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